CUET PG 2023: The National Testing Agency (NTA) started the registration for Common University Entrance Test (CUET-PG) 2023 examination on March 20, and candidates have time till April 19 to apply at the official website — cuet.nta.nic.in. This year, the CUET PG 2023 registration fee is Rs 1000 for general category students, and Rs 800 for the OBC-NCL/Gen-EWS category students, Rs 750 for SC/ ST/ third gender, and Rs 700 for PwBD candidates. The registration fee has increased by Rs 200 this year. In the debut year of CUET PG, general category students had to pay Rs 800. As some CUET PG candidates pointed out the increase in the application fee, the UGC Chief, M Jagadesh Kumar, said that the fee "increase is nominal", and the decision to do so is taken by the NTA "taking into account the cost of operations". NTA Chief, Vineet Joshi, confirmed the same and told indianexpress.com that this year the agency decided to increase the application fee to keep up with the increasing cost of operations. "We decide the application fee based on the estimate of the cost required to conduct the exam. Now, all of this is different every year. In this year's exam, we have more number of participating universities, so the cost involved will be more. In different universities, they have different types of subjects and different expectations, so if you have more subjects then naturally you will incur more cost," Joshi explained. He also said that the increased cost is also to match up the "constant development of security, and ensuring that the exams are conducted in a safe manner. Maintaining and upgrading safety is a constant endeavour. Putting up additional manpower of observers, technical software and more incurs more cost". He also added that there will also be "people trying to pull unfair means". The increasing number of exam centres is also another reason why the NTA has to increase the application fee from time to time. "Once we invite the applications, and based on the number of applications we will try to ensure that as many people get their choice of centres as possible. We need time for that, and we will soon begin planning that now. So, based on the number of exam centres, the cost of operation is bound to increase," he said. Looking at the technical glitches that took place last year, the NTA and UGC Chief had said that they will establish more exam centres. Talking about that, Joshi told indiaexpress.com that the agency is still working on opening more centres. "This year, four new test centres have been set up in Jammu, Doora (UP), Noida and NEHU (one each)," he said. He also explained that the application fee for foreign test centres has seen an even greater increase because the cost of operations almost doubles up in other countries. "It is also becoming increasingly difficult to find exam centres abroad now, as everything has opened up. Earlier, classes were closed and nobody was using it so it was easier, however, it is a little more difficult now, so more resources are used," he explained.
